Hyekyung Kay Kim

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Nanyang Technological University

Token acts of online support, also known as clicktivism, have received much criticism in recent years for suppressing subsequent prosocial behavior. However, whether, when, and why individuals perform less prosocial behavior following these acts remains relatively unknown. To address these questions, we designed a lab experiment in which participan...

Guided by the stressor-strain-outcome framework, this meta-analysis synthesizes 64 empirical studies (N = 28,357) on a list of drivers (i.e., psychological, behavioral, and environmental stressors) and a major consequence (i.e., use discontinuance) of social media fatigue. Results suggest that the behavioral stressor (i.e., SNS addiction) and psych...

In a public health crisis, communication plays a vital role in making sure policies and recommendations from the government level get disseminated accurately to its people and is only considered as effective when the public accepts, supports, complies to, and engages in policies or behaves as per governments’ recommendations. Adopting the multivari...

Cyberchondria describes online health information seeking (OHIS) in an excessive pattern, along with other characteristics, including distress, reassurance, and compulsion. Drawing upon the risk information seeking and processing model and the hybrid model of cyberchondria, this study investigated how health anxiety, information insufficiency, OHIS...

To better understand how different psychosocial components motivate the use of mobile fitness apps, this study integrates two major theories in behavior prediction, theory of planned behavior (TPB) and theory of normative social behavior (TNSB). An online survey was conducted with a random sample of undergraduate students (N = 558) registered at a...

This study used two randomized experiments in a prospective design (Study 1 N = 297, Study 2 N = 296) to examine how multilevel causal attribution dimensions (internal vs. external to an individual or a country) shape domestic and foreign policy support to counter transboundary risk. Results from Study 1 and 2 showed that external‐country (vs. inte...

Despite being a densely populated international travel hub in Southeast Asia, Singapore ranks at the top globally as the country with the lowest COVID-19 case fatality ratio as of February 2021. This chapter provides key insights into Singapore’s COVID-19 experience, focusing on the role of Singapore’s government, businesses, and non-governmental o...

This study sought to examine the potential role of news avoidance in belief in COVID-19 misinformation. Using two-wave panel survey data in Singapore, we found that information overload is associated with news fatigue as well as with difficulty in analyzing information. News fatigue and analysis paralysis also subsequently led to news avoidance, wh...

News media can influence citizens' health beliefs about COVID-19 and eventually their vaccination intention. However, existing literature has rarely investigated how such effect is contingent upon a country-level factor: press freedom. Situated in the Health Belief Model, this study draws upon a multi-national survey (N = 3,599), involving 10 major...

This study examined the effects of gender-specific pictorial health warning labels contingent on their intended gender and threat levels (for females) in forming anti-smoking intentions. We conducted a within-subject design experiment with smokers and nonsmokers in Singapore (N = 100, 50% men). Each participant viewed 10 warning labels-four female-...

There exist two distinctive hypotheses on the relationship between perceived risk and protection behavior: the behavioral motivation hypothesis (i.e., a higher risk perception motivates protection behaviors) and the risk reappraisal hypothesis (i.e., protection behaviors reduce perceived risk). To test these competing hypotheses, we examined how ri...

Applying disposition theory to narrative persuasion, this study examined how audience members’ enjoyment of a narrative promotes persuasion differently than transportation and identification. In a 2 (affective disposition: liked vs. disliked story character) × 2 (framing: gain vs. loss framed story) between-subject experiment, participants (N = 295...

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented threat to global human wellbeing, and the proliferation of online misinformation during this critical period amplifies the challenge. This study examines consequences of exposure to online misinformation about COVID-19 preventions. Using a three-wave panel survey involving 1,023 residents in Singapore, t...

This study examines the emotional mechanisms of how public trust in the governments’ actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic shapes individuals’ risk information-seeking and avoidance. To make cross-cultural comparisons, we conducted a multi-country survey early in the pandemic in South Korea, the United States (US) and Singapore. The results sugg...

Guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examines how self-construal, risk perception, and direct experience change the relative importance of psychosocial motivators in predicting intentions to engage in three different protective behaviors against particulate air pollution. An online survey of 1245 South Koreans (Mage = 42.22, 5...

This study capitalizes on the unique capability of virtual reality (VR) to examine the efficacy of self- versus other-embodied perspective taking in promoting kidney donation in Singapore. The study used a 2 (self- vs other-embodied) × 2 (mirror vs photo presentation) between-subjects VR experiment (N = 128), wherein participants played the role of...

Cyberchondria describes excessive online health searches associated with increased emotional distress. While previous research has examined various antecedents of cyberchondria, how regular online health information seeking (OHIS) turns into cyberchondria has received minimal theoretical attention. This study proposes a theoretical model that illum...

Purpose: Cyberchondria describes excessive or repeated online health-related information seeking associated with an increased level of health anxiety. Given the nascent nature of the concept of cyberchondria, this systematic review attempts to summarize the current landscape of cyberchondria research. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a compre...

This study examined how exposure to government health advisories on face mask-wearing and trust in government influenced people’s compliance with the advisory overtime. We conducted a three-wave panel survey (N = 1,024; T1 in February, T2 in March, T3 in April 2020) in Singapore, where the government initially enforced wearing a face mask condition...

We examined the implications of exposure to misinformation about COVID-19 in the United States, South Korea, and Singapore in the early stages of the global pandemic. The online survey results showed that misinformation exposure reduced information insufficiency, which subsequently led to greater information avoidance and heuristic processing, as w...

This entry provides an introduction to the stages of change (SOC) model, developed by Prochaska and DiClemente in 1983, addressing its key assumptions, predictions, practical applications, as well as critiques and future directions for research on the model. The SOC model assumes that behavior changes occur in a cyclical manner, progressing and rel...

Mental illness is a prevalent and pressing public health problem among the Asian population, especially among young adults. This study examined the psychosocial predictors of the intention to seek counseling based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the effects of mental health conditions on the relative contributions of the TPB predictors...

Avatars are now used widely across digital content and services, and creating one's own avatar through customization has become a common user activity on digital media. This study focuses on the process involved in avatar customization, which requires engaged self-reflection. We test whether avatar customization enhances persuasive effects through...

This research aims to better understand cultural disparities in cancer prevention behaviors. To do this, we investigate how four cultural beliefs – optimism, pessimism, naïve dialecticism, and superstition – associate with cancer fatalism, which has been recognized as a major barrier to cancer prevention behaviors. Based on an online survey of 1,02...

The study examines differential motivational factors underlying risk information seeking and sharing in the context of transboundary air pollution (“haze”) in Singapore. In particular, it addresses specific conditions under which information insufficiency influences information seeking and sharing. The analysis of an online survey with 1,021 Singap...

Based on two experiments, this paper advances the concept of social presence as a novel mechanism through which narrative perspective (first- versus third-person) exerts persuasive effects on attitudes toward outgroup policies and behavioral intentions to help outgroup members. Study 1 (N = 503) shows that the first-person perspective, compared to...

While social media influencers are gleaning increasing trust and investment from brands, advertisers, and followers, insights on the role of influencers in adolescents’ relationship formation and consumption behaviors are still rare. Drawing on the literatures of influencer content value, influencer credibility, parental mediation, and parasocial r...

Based on two experiments, this paper advances the concept of social presence as a novel mechanism through which narrative perspective (first- versus third-person) exerts persuasive effects on attitudes toward outgroup policies and behavioral intentions to help outgroup members. Study 1 (N = 503) shows that the first-person perspective, compared to...

This study examined the processes through which media frames and onset controllability, independently or jointly, influence support for policies to help postpartum depression patients. A 2 (Frame: episodic vs. thematic) x 2 (Onset controllability: controllable vs. uncontrollable) experiment (N = 306) found that a thematic frame (vs. episodic) exert...

The Government of Singapore recently introduced a Bill to amend the tobacco control law with a view of prescribing plain packaging for tobacco products. The amendment was passed into law on 11 February 2019, with an expected implementation date in 2020. The consequence, of course, is a complete prohibition on the display of any trade marks, symbols...

Asians are more susceptible to alcohol flush syndrome and its associated health risks because they are genetically predisposed towards it. Guided by the theory of planned behaviour, this research examined the psychosocial factors associated with moderate alcohol consumption, in order to inform the development of a health campaign targeting young As...

This research explores transnational consumption of Korean entertainment among Asian viewers. To explain the appeal of Korean entertainment, this research focuses on mixed response of two opposing states (e.g., laughing and crying) that are induced, and examines the theoretical framework of personality trait (need for affect) vs. cultural trait (na...

Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines parents’ attitudes, social norms, self-efficacy, and intentions regarding parental mediation of children’s smartphone use. A survey conducted with parents of young smartphone users aged 10–17 shows that parents tend to perceive discussion-based active mediation to be more desirable,...

Mental disorder is a pressing public health issue in Singapore, especially among young adults. By integrating the risk perception attitude (RPA) framework and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examines psychosocial factors underlying two mental health promotion behaviors – seeking counseling and employing self-help methods – among yo...

This study examined whether regulatory focus changes the effects of gain- and loss-framed narratives on promoting Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among young females in Singapore. We conducted a quasi-experiment in which participants reported their regulatory focus and then read either a gain- or loss-framed narrative about HPV vaccination....

This study integrates cultural theory of risk into the risk information seeking and processing model in the context of particulate air pollution in South Korea. Specifically, it examines how cultural worldviews (hierarchy, individualism, egalitarianism, and fatalism) influence the way people interpret risk about an environmental risk, which may in...

Guided by construal level theory (CLT), this study investigates the interplay between two framing approaches that address outcomes of obesity-related policies. A randomized experiment (N = 299) was conducted with a 2 (gain- vs. loss-frame) X 2 (societal- vs. individual-frame) between-participants design. Consistent with CLT, frame combinations with...

Based on two experiments, this project introduces the concept of social presence as a novel mechanism through which narrative perspective (first- versus third-person) exerts persuasive effects on attitudes towards outgroup policies and behavioral intentions to help outgroup members. Study 1 (N = 503) shows that the first-person perspective, compare...

This study examines how current smokers respond differently to gain–loss-framed antismoking narratives depending on their stages of change to quit smoking. An experiment (N = 461) was conducted with a 2 (narrative perspective: first person vs. third person) × 2 (framing: gain vs. loss) factorial design having smoker’s stage of change (precontemplat...

Given the highly interdisciplinary nature of the field, practitioners concerned with the communication of product risk should be able to understand the complex dynamics of risk communication from numerous vantage points, at both the individual and societal levels. This chapter thus addresses psychological and sociological approaches, as well as int...

This study examines when and how shared risk-relevant experience (autobiographic similarity) influences resistance to negatively framed health narratives. We conducted a 2 (narrative perspective: 1st vs. 3rd person) × 2 (processing motive: experiential vs. analytical) randomized experiment with a short narrative depicting the negative effects of an...

This study tests whether gain- and loss-framed messages about establishing obesity-reducing policies have different persuasive effects on Republicans and Democrats. In a randomized between-subject experiment, participants (N = 384) read a message emphasizing either benefits to a society by establishing policies aimed to reduce obesity (i.e., gain-f...

Guided by the functional theory of attitude, this study examined the utility of value-expressive messages at improving young adults’ attitude toward psychiatric help-seeking (PHS). A randomized between-subject experiment (n = 148) was conducted with three message conditions: health or self-direction value-expressive messages and a control message....

Although culture is acknowledged as an important factor that influences health, little is known about cultural differences pertaining to cancer-related beliefs and prevention behaviors. This study examines two culturally influenced beliefs-fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention, and optimistic beliefs about cancer risk-to identify reasons for c...

This study examines intervention approaches to improve the accuracy of risk judgments among college students with unrealistic optimism about alcohol-related problems. We conducted a randomized experiment with 2 self-affirmation (affirmed, nonaffirmed) and 3 message conditions (narrative, informational, no treatment control). Results indicate that p...

Physical and psychological changes that occur during pregnancy present a unique challenge for women's physical activity. Using a theory-based prospective design, this study examines the effects of pregnant women's (a) physical activity cognitions (self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and safety beliefs) and (b) online self-regulation activities (goal...

This study examined motivational factors underlying six behaviors with varying levels of scientific uncertainty with regard to their effectiveness in reducing cancer risk. Making use of considerable within-subjects variation, the authors examined the moderating role of the degree of scientific uncertainty about the effectiveness of cancer risk–redu...

This study examined psychosocial and sociodemographic factors associated with pregnant women's use of Web-based tools to set and monitor personal goals for healthy diet and physical activity. These tools were made available to women participating in a randomized trial testing a Web-based intervention to promote appropriate gestational weight gain....

We examine how social support (perceived support and support from a spouse, or committed partner) may influence pregnant women's information seeking behaviors on a pregnancy website. We assess information seeking behavior among participants in a trial testing the effectiveness of a web-based intervention for appropriate gestational weight gain. Par...

Little is known about the home food safety practices of Mexican-Americans living in the U.S. The current study examined the knowledge, perception of food safety risk and factors associated with home food safety practices among the Mexican-Americans who cook regularly for their families. Ten focus group interviews in New York and Texas identified a...

Reducing rates of obesity will require interventions that influence both individual decisions and environmental factors through changes in public policy. Previous work indicates that messages emphasizing environmental determinants increases support for public policies, but some suspect this strategy may undermine motivation to engage in diet and ex...

Narrative messages have the potential to convey causal attribution information about complex social issues. This study examined attributions about obesity, an issue characterized by interrelated biological, behavioral, and environmental causes. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of three narratives emphasizing societal causes and solut...

This article presents findings from two studies that describe news portrayals of cancer causes and prevention in local TV and test the effects of typical aspects of this coverage on cancer-related fatalism and overload. Study 1 analyzed the content of stories focused on cancer causes and prevention from an October 2002 national sample of local TV a...

This study investigates how both positive and negative emotions relate to stakeholders' attributions of crisis responsibility, relational trust, and willingness to engage in crisis-related information seeking from the organization. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data obtained from a survey of 429 students in a university that expe...

This study attempts to advance theorizing about narrative persuasion by explicating types of thoughts, beyond counterarguing, generated in response to a short narrative with persuasive intent. We examine responses to four types of narratives (focus: individual vs. community; by sidedness: one‐ vs. two‐sided) about causes and solutions for obesity i...

This study aims to determine the utility of constructs from the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction in predicting behaviors associated with flu prevention in a college campus. Building on previous studies that document substantial optimistic bias among college students, this study explores possible roles for optimistic bias in the Integrativ...

Based on research on truth claims in the psychology literature, many scholars believe that readers and viewers of narratives start with an assumption of realism and adjust that judgment to the extent mental resources are available. Three studies reported here investigate the relationship between mental resources and realism judgments. Experiment 1...

In order to provide a more refined understanding of crisis situations, especially crises resulting from race issues, the researchers identified crisis dynamic variables from existing literature (e.g., Coombs & Holladay, 2002) and connected these links in a model. The cognitive processing model of crisis communication investigates how pre-crisis cor...